Kate Beckinsale appears to be shining a light on her experience with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“I think what people will find incredibly hard to understand about non-military PTSD … is that those people have seen or experienced levels of horror, terror, violence that they don’t just dream about incessantly, so there’s no rest,” Beckinsale, 53, said in an Instagram video on Wednesday, September 2. “They see it when they blink. Every time they close their eyes for a second and those people aren’t recognized as heroes.”
While lying in bed, the actress explained to her 5.3 million Instagram followers that there are men, women and children all around “who have seen such absolute horror or experienced such absolute horror that their nervous system is permanently altered as a result.”
“A lot of those people become incredibly good at masking it, and it’s sad because they become so good that they get no grace whatsoever,” she explained. “They get up, they go to work, they provide for their family.”
In her candid social media post, Beckinsale had an ask for her followers who may come in contact with people who may be experiencing PTSD.
“Given the fact that it’s invisible and you can’t know, maybe err on being on the gentler side with people, being kinder with people,” she suggested. “It really is true that if you haven’t walked a mile in someone’s shoes — however fancy you feel the shoes are — you have absolutely no idea what they may be carrying or masking or dealing with day and night.”
Previously, Beckinsale made headlines when she removed a majority of her Instagram posts. She has also been open about the struggles of grief after her mom’s death and her experience dealing with body-shamers.
Although the Underworld actress did not specifically reveal whether she has been diagnosed with PTSD in her latest Instagram videos, she highlighted the lack of research regarding women’s health.
“PTSD in the female brain has only begun to be studied in the last six, seven years maximum,” she claimed in a separate Instagram video. “When you think about the sexual violence so many people go through, the fact that the effects of PTSD on the female brain weren’t even thought to be studied — except on the male brain — is astonishing.”
Beckinsale continued, “Maybe don’t always tell a person how strong they are. Maybe that person is just crushed about having to be strong for years or decades.”
In a final message to her followers, the Love & Friendship star reminded her community to practice kindness.
“There are hundreds of thousands of people walking around with PTSD who are the bravest people ever and will never get recognized for it,” she said. “So if in doubt, be kind. Always be kind if you can, but particularly since you can’t have a clue about what someone’s going through. Be gentle. Be kind or just leave the person alone for a minute.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
